Mirror Messages: GOP in ’06, Democrats in ’10

Washington Wire has written before about the similarities between the dynamics in 2006 that swept Democrats into power and in 2010, when Republicans stand a chance of doing the same in one, if not both, chambers.

There’s more: As Democrats, including President Barack Obama, make their case to the electorate ahead of the midterms, their message sounds awfully familiar.

We’ve identified eight similarities between the big themes of the Republican talking points in 2006 that proved unsuccessful, and the Democratic talking points of 2010.

Readers: Do you agree? Disagree? What are we missing? Let us know by leaving a comment.

1. They are obstructionists and the Party of No:

Then: “Five years after 9/11, the worst attack on American homeland in our history, the Democrats offer nothing but criticism and obstruction and endless second-guessing. The party of FDR and the party of Harry Truman has become the party of cut-and-run.” –President George W. Bush, Sept. 28, 2006

Now: “But too often, the Republican leadership in the United States Senate chooses to filibuster our recovery and obstruct our progress. And that has very real consequences.… But again and again, a partisan minority in the Senate said “no,” and used procedural tactics to block a simple, up-or-down vote.” –President Obama, June 20, 2010

2. We will reform the filibuster:

Then: “The filibuster was abused in the last Congress….That was wrong. It was not in keeping with our precedents over the past 214 years. It made light of our responsibilities as U.S. senators under the Constitution. It was a miserable chapter in the history of the Senate and I believe brought us to a new low.” –Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, May 23, 2005.

Now: “We’re going to change it….We’re looking at ways to change what has been an abuse,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on July 24, 2010.

Now: “If you take the Republican numbers on how many recruits they have … and divide it with the amount of cash on hand, they don’t have the funds to compete in these districts. It’s going to be a wake-up call to some of these candidates when they see the people urging them on don’t have the resources,” Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.) House Democrats’ campaign committee chairman, said on Jan. 26, 2010.

4. This is not 1994:

Then: “There is no indication that Democrats today are anywhere close to formulating an equivalent message to what Republicans had in 1994.” –Reynolds, the October 2005 memo.

Then: “At the moment, the 2006 midterm election is framed as a referendum on the Bush administration and congressional Republicans, putting Republican candidates on the defensive. Party strategists, led by chairman Ken Mehlman, want to rejigger the debate so it’s about a choice between candidates, putting Democratic candidates on the defensive as well. In short, they want it to be a choice election, not a referendum election.” –Fred Barnes, The Weekly Standard, March 27, 2006.

Now: “This election is going to be about a choice,” DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, told reporters in May. “One party put the economy into a ditch, stood by and watched it collapse, not really willing to pull the ripcord on the parachute.”

6. Look how much we’ve accomplished in this Congress:

Then: “From the business community’s perspective, it was one of the most productive sessions in recent memory,” Thomas Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said on Oct. 10, 2006.

Now: “This is the most productive congress in the history of the country,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said on July 12, 2010, at a fund-raiser.

7. This special election is a bellwether of November:

Then: “From the beginning, Democrats said this would be a bellwether of what would happen in November. You see a lot of things that are bellwethers, and they indicate Republicans are in position to hold Congress,” RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman said after California GOP Rep. Brian Bilbray won a special election in which Democrats were favored to win for the seat of disgraced former GOP Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham.

Now: “For all of their bluster about building a national wave this year … Republican policies were once again rejected when it came time to face the voters,” Van Hollen said, after Democrat Mark Critz defeated Tim Burns in a competitive May 18 special election for the seat of the late Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. John Murtha in a conservative leaning district.

8. We are not corrupt:

Then: “Whatever happens in one Member’s district doesn’t affect what happens in any other Member’s district,” Reynolds told reporters in June 2006, in reference to the ethical problems that surrounded then-Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R., Texas).

Now: “I didn’t use that term,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D., Md.) said on July 27, 2010, when asked if he thinks Democrats have “drained the swamp,” a term heavily used by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) during the 2006 campaign. “What I believed and continue to believe is that we have made the ethics process work, and we have made it work in a meaningful way.”

About Washington Wire

Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.